Building on the Rock

Just along the road from us in our neighbouring parish of St Mary, Rotherhithe, is the old building of the church school with these wonderful statues of eighteenth century scholars, a boy and a girl each holding a book.

The book, of course, is The Book, the Bible, and it is a reminder that Christians were in the forefront of providing free education for poor children, centuries before the state took over that role.

Peter Hill founded his school, which still bears his name in 1613, two and a half centuries before free education for all was provided by Act of Parliament in 1870.

The significance of the Bible in the hands of the children was two fold. Christians wanted children to be be able to learn about God's world, and by learning to read, to be able to read God's word for themselves.

The tradition of Church education continues not only in Peter Hill's School, the parochial school of St Mary, Rotherhithe, but also in our own St James's School, founded in 1841, which started back for a new term today with a service in the church.

All bright and bushy tailled, refreshed after the holiday, children and teachers poured into church today to sing God's praise, to pray for the coming term, and to hear God's word.

Some of the key stage 1 children helped me act out the story of the wise man who built his house on the rock, and we thought about the difference it makes when you build your life - and your school - on the solid rock of God's Word in Scripture.

The house on sand (left) and the house on the rock.

It was a good start back to a new term.